Cold Open

It’s September 10th, 1627, on the city walls of La Rochelle, France.

A young artillery officer makes his rounds, inspecting the battery of cannons under his command. Around him, gunners load powder and sight down the barrels, readying their weapons. An army is camped outside the city walls. But the citizens of La Rochelle aren’t facing foreign invaders. They’re going up against their own king.

For the past sixty years, France has been torn apart by religious conflict. The majority of the country, including King Louis XIII, is Catholic. But many of his subjects have embraced the Protestant Reformation. These “Huguenots”, as they are known, have waged a long struggle for religious freedom. But now, after many years of fighting, the city of La Rochelle is their last holdout—and the king’s army has come to capture it.

The artillery officer on the walls has just completed his inspection when a messenger races up to him.

Breathless, the courier delivers the orders from the Huguenot commander. They are to open fire on the royal army.

The officer nods. He takes a glowing taper and holds it to the nearest cannon’s touchhole.

The first shot is then followed by a thunderous barrage as cannon after cannon erupts along the wall. But the young officer doesn’t flinch. This is what he’s been waiting for. The battle has begun.

The defenders of La Rochelle are determined to resist King Louis XIII. But though their city is the last Huguenot holdout in France, its defenders are not completely alone. Across the channel, the Protestant King of England has promised them support. And they'll need it. For 14 long months, disease and starvation will wear away the resolve of the people of La Rochelle, until the fate of the Protestants in France is finally sealed on October 28th, 1628.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is October 28th, 1628: The Siege of La Rochelle.

Act One: The Net Closes

It’s August 1627, outside La Rochelle, one month before the city’s guns open fire on the French royal army.

54-year-old Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême, swings down from his saddle. He’s spent most of the day on the road, and every bone in his body aches. But though his journey is over, he has no chance to rest yet—because the gates of La Rochelle are sealed shut, and grim-faced soldiers stare down at him from the walls.

La Rochelle is one of the largest cities in France. A prosperous trading hub, it commands shipping routes up and down the country’s west coast and serves as a vital port for France’s growing colonial empire. But it is also a thorn in the side of the government. La Rochelle is a hotbed of Protestantism, and resistance to France’s Catholic king has flared up in the city again and again.

Because La Rochelle is well-placed to defy royal authority, on its inland site, it is guarded by thick, high walls, while its large harbor acts as a lifeline, enabling it to be resupplied by sea. In the past, Huguenot allies from elsewhere in France have been able to reinforce the city. But now that La Rochelle is the last Protestant stronghold left, it relies more and more on friends overseas. And right now, no ally is more important than the Protestant King of England.

A month ago, an English fleet of a hundred ships landed on the nearby island of Ré. Under the command of the most powerful nobleman in England, the invading army laid siege to the citadel of St. Martin. If the English can capture it, they will control one of the key approaches to La Rochelle and strengthen the position of the Huguenots in the city. The English haven’t managed to take the fortress yet, but the mere threat of it has forced King Louis XIII’s hand. He has decided that the time has come to bring La Rochelle to heel.

And as the king’s representative, the Duke of Angoulême has come west with an army of 7,000 soldiers. After the commander of La Rochelle refuses him entry, Angoulême turns to his officers and tells them to prepare for a siege. Soon, every road and path leading to the city is blocked, and La Rochelle is surrounded by a string of fortified positions. But the city still refuses to surrender.

Then, as August turns to September, King Louis himself arrives on the west coast to take personal command of the siege. He brings with him thousands of reinforcements, as well as his chief advisor, Cardinal Richelieu. The sight of such overwhelming force sparks an immediate response from the defenders of La Rochelle. The city’s cannons open fire on their besiegers, and King Louis quickly responds in kind. His guns begin a relentless bombardment of La Rochelle. But although city walls are hundreds of years old in places, the thick masonry is still more than capable of withstanding the king’s artillery.

And La Rochelle still holds its one last advantage—its ability to resupply and reinforce by sea. As long as ships can slip into the harbor, the besieged city can hold out almost indefinitely. So to end the stalemate, Cardinal Richelieu comes up with a radical idea. He suggests building a wall out at sea, one that will seal off the bay and prevent reinforcements from reaching the rebellious city.

The king approves the plan, and over the next few weeks, his forces sink a small fleet of old ships filled with rubble to act as a foundation. On top of them, stone by stone, engineers build a vast wall that stretches for over a mile across the water. Once it’s complete, rows of sharpened stakes are driven into the barrier, ready to rip apart any vessel that tries to break through. And with the wall's completion, La Rochelle is now completely isolated from the outside world.

The citizens still have one hope left, though, that the English will take the citadel of St. Martin and open up a new route to the sea. But as the wall across the harbor is completed, King Louis receives welcome news. The English invasion has failed. After suffering enormous casualties, they have called off their assault on St. Martin and retreated back to their ships, setting sail for home.

With their English allies gone, the inhabitants of La Rochelle seem doomed. Their thick city walls will become a prison. And unless help arrives, 25,000 people will face hunger, disease, and a slow death trapped behind their own defenses.

Act Two: Hopes Dashed

It’s April 1628, in the Lantern Tower of La Rochelle harbor, eight months after the siege began.

The 48-year-old Duke of Soubise lifts his hat and waves it high in the air, whooping with joy. As commander of the Huguenot garrison in La Rochelle, he knows he should act with more restraint. But it’s difficult to contain himself at a moment like this. On the horizon, out in the Atlantic, he can see dozens of English ships—and they’re heading right for La Rochelle.

A few minutes ago, messengers interrupted Soubise’s breakfast with the news that the ships had been sighted. Leaving his food half-eaten, Soubise rushed to the Lantern Tower, the tallest in the harbor. For centuries, it’s guided countless ships safely to port. And now, standing on the tower’s battlements, Soubise prays that it will act as a beacon for the English as well—and bring his city salvation.

Because it’s been five months since Soubise last glimpsed the English flag, back when their fleet withdrew after a failed assault on the nearby citadel of St. Martin. Since then, La Rochelle has endured a relentless bombardment from land, while, at sea, the vast wall built by the king’s engineers has cut the city off from all reinforcements. With rations running low, people are getting desperate. But now, as Soubise counts the sails on the horizon, he feels the first stirrings of hope. Around 60 English ships are approaching. It’s an enormous fleet—enough, Soubise hopes, to destroy the new sea wall and deliver much-needed supplies.

As he watches, cannon fire booms across the water from the French forts dotted around the bay. But the shots fall short. The English fleet is still out of range. But to Soubise's confusion and then his horror, the English ships alter course. The armada turns away from the coast and heads back out to sea. It seems that the English have quit the fight without even firing a shot.

Soubise curses their cowardice. He wants to scream insults at them as they disappear over the horizon. But instead, he forces himself to regain his composure. He knows this will be a devastating blow to the city’s wavering morale, and he has to put on a brave face for his men.

Hundreds of people have already died of hunger and sickness during the siege, and now, with the English retreating, Soubise will have to cut rations even further.

So over the next few months, famine takes hold in La Rochelle. Thousands more of the city’s inhabitants starve to death. And with a shortage of strength and manpower, many of the corpses are left unburied. This only helps spread disease and leads to more deaths.

So throughout the summer of 1628, all Soubise can do is pray. But it seems only a matter of time before the city surrenders. King Louis even stops his bombardment of the city walls, apparently seeing no point in wasting valuable gunpowder when hunger and disease are conquering La Rochelle for him.

But then, in September, cannon fire echoes over the city once again. It doesn’t come from land, but from the sea. Soubise rushes again to the Lantern Tower and sees that his prayers have been answered. The English fleet has returned — and this time, they’re engaging the French. Cannonballs pound the seawall, trying to punch a hole through. And the French artillery is responding, aiming to blow the English out of the water.

The bombardment continues for hours. And from his tower, Soubise watches every shot. But when the English guns finally fall silent, the sea wall is still standing. Once again, Soubise must watch as the English retreat and abandon La Rochelle.

Soubise looks around at the emaciated defenders of the city. He sees tears in some of their eyes. And he can’t blame them. To have hope rekindled, only for it to be snatched away so quickly, is too much for even him to bear.

With the defeat of this latest English relief attempt, Soubise knows that he is out of options. His enemy seems to sense it, too. A royal messenger appears outside the gates offering terms of surrender. King Louis says he is prepared to grant the Huguenot rebels freedom of worship—but in return, they must open the gates of La Rochelle and submit to the crown.

Few of the city’s inhabitants trust the king to keep his word. But Soubise will have little choice. He knows that in just a matter of days, La Rochelle will be out of food and out of time.

Act Three: The City of Ghosts.

It’s October 28th, 1628, in La Rochelle, 14 months after the siege began.

A Huguenot captain yells an order to open the city’s main gate, and two of his men step forward, throwing their weight against the wood. At first, the heavy doors resist—they’ve been reinforced to hold off the enemy, and the soldiers are pale and weak from starvation. But eventually, the gates creak open.

When the gap is wide enough, a party of envoys leaves the city to officially surrender La Rochelle to King Louis XIII. In better times, they would have ridden out on horseback, but the city’s last horses were slaughtered and eaten months ago.

So as they walk out, behind them, the gate grinds shut. A guilty relief settles over the Huguenot captain. After more than a year, the siege is finally over. He fears for the future, but clings to the royal promise that in exchange for their unconditional surrender, the Huguenots will be allowed to worship freely.

Four days later, on November 1st, the captain opens the gates one final time—allowing the Royal army to take the city. At the procession's head rides King Louis, flanked by his trusted advisor, Cardinal Richelieu. Together, they survey a city that’s almost totally destroyed. Before the siege, 25,000 people lived in La Rochelle. Now, 14 months later, fewer than 5,000 survive. And many of those are close to death.

The fall of La Rochelle marks the end of Huguenot resistance to the French crown. And in the months that follow, the last few Huguenot leaders across France surrender, too. In the peace negotiations that follow, Protestants are stripped of their political rights. But the king will stick to his word, and Huguenots will not be persecuted for their faith.

That will leave French Protestants in a dangerous position, though. Their survival will now depend entirely on the goodwill of the crown—and less than 60 years later, another French king will revoke their freedoms and unleash a new wave of persecution. By then, Protestants in France will be too weak politically to resist, and many will flee to other countries to avoid the fate of the martyrs of the past, like the thousands who fought and died at the siege of La Rochelle, which came to an end on October 28th, 1628.

Outro

Next on History Daily. October 29th, 1863. Representatives from eighteen countries meet in Geneva and agree to form the International Red Cross.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Samuel Hume.

Edited by Scott Reeves.

Managing producer Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.